Report: Canada 12-73 Scotland

OTTAWA, ONTARIO - JULY 06: Arron Reed of Scotland
celebrates his first half try against Canada with his teammates on July 06, 2024 in Ottawa, Ontario. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images for Scottish Rugby)

Canada started brightly through Lucas Rumball’s early try, but Scotland’s rebuttal was swift. Harry Paterson, brimming with intent from the off, forced his way through a labouring defence to find Matt Currie, whose inside ball allowed Josh Bayliss to coast over, with Ross Thompson’s tidy conversion giving the visitors the lead [5-7, 11 mins].

The modern game seems to be peppered with tries by hookers and Dylan Richardson, the revamped flanker, marked his first Scotland cap in the front row with a try, showing as the willing recipient after Thompson had punctured the hosts’ advances. Thompson converted from close range to extend Scotland’s lead to nine points [5-14, 15 mins].

In conditions representing a summer back home (well, in most years), a water break was administered after 20 minutes, before Richardson made it a hooking debut double from a textbook line-out/rolling maul combo [5-19, 24 mins].

On the half hour, Scotland upped the ante with a magical score, which owed much to Paterson’s speed of thought. After Max Williamson and Glen Young had raided up the middle of the Canadian half, Richardson’s snaking run was brought down. The visitors went quickly out to the left, Paterson having the presence of mind to offload out of a tackle for Arron Reed to score the simplest of debut tries [5-24, 30 mins].

Canada went close to their own second score, only to be held up by a combination of Stafford McDowall and Elliot Millar Mills, the latter threatening to kick into gear from his own line only for play to be brought back, possibly to the relief of the Northampton Saints tighthead.

Half-time: Canada 5-24 Scotland

It took six minutes post-interval for Scotland to get their fifth try, Gus Warr’s quick tap-and-go laying the platform for first Reed, then Bayliss, then Thompson to go close, before the scrum-half went over from close range, Thompson converting [5-31, 46 mins).

Canada rallied to hit back through Kyle Baillie, with Peter Nelson adding the extras, but Warr made it a quickfire double with a determined dart for the line after more good work from Paterson, with Thompson adding two more [12-38, 51 mins].

Arron Reed got a brace of his own with a delightful inside-out finish from Jamie Dobie’s looping pass [54 mins], the same player then setting up Paterson a few minutes after, with both converted by Thompson [12-52, 61 mins].

And Dobie got in on the act when Reed turned provider in similar fashion, to score his first try for Scotland with 10 minutes to go, Ben Healy converting [12-59, 70 mins].

Stafford McDowall, who went on to thwart a late Canada score with an excellent cover tackle, made his way through traffic to add a tenth try [74 mins], before Kyle Steyn dotted down to complete the scoring in the final minute, Healy adding the extras for both [12-73, 80 mins].

The result, a record in the fixture, meant Scotland retained the Douglas Horn Trophy, played for between the two countries since 2008.

Full-time: Canada 12-73 Scotland

Canada: Coats, Coe, Richardson, LeSage, Benn; Nelson, Higgins; Murray, Quattrin, Young, Keys, Baillie, Flesch, Rumball, Vikilani.

Replacements: Mackail, Sears-Duru, Keith, Stockwood, Parry, Gallagher, Tal McMullin, Tak McMullin.

Scotland: Harry Paterson (Edinburgh Rugby), Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Currie (Edinburgh Rugby), Stafford McDowall, Co-Captain (Glasgow Warriors), Arron Reed (Sale Sharks); Ross Thompson (Edinburgh Rugby), Gus Warr (Sale Sharks); Rory Sutherland (Glasgow Warriors), Dylan Richardson (Sharks), Elliot Millar Mills (Northampton Saints), Max Williamson (Glasgow Warriors), Glen Young (Edinburgh Rugby), Gregor Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Luke Crosbie, Co-Captain (Edinburgh Rugby), Josh Bayliss (Bath Rugby)

Replacements: Robbie Smith (Northampton Saints) (for Crosbie, 56 mins), Nathan McBeth (Glasgow Warriors) for Sutherland, 48 mins), Will Hurd (Leicester Tigers) (for Millar Mills, 48 mins), Ewan Johnson (Oyonnax) (for Williamson, 56 mins), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors for Bayliss, 74 mins)), Ben Healy (Edinburgh Rugby) (for Thompson, 56 mins), Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors) (for Paterson, 14 mins, temporary; then for Currie, 63 mins), Ross McCann (Edinburgh Rugby) (for Warr, 63 mins).

Referee: Adam Leal (RFU)

Assistant referees: Kat Roche (USA) and Kahlil Harrison (USAR)

TMO: Austin Reed (USAR)

Crowd: 11,477

Player of the Match: Harry Paterson (Scotland)